The consumer watchdog Truth in Advertising (TINA.org) said on May 20, 2015, that it had filed complaints with the Federal Trade Commission and the New York Attorney General over Revlon’s Almay “Simply American” marketing campaign.
The complaint
TINA.org’s letters, dated May 19, said the campaign makes an implied, unqualified claim that Almay cosmetics are made in the USA. The group said more than 95% of the Almay products sold on the brand’s website did not meet the FTC standard for a Made in USA claim.
The campaign featured singer Carrie Underwood, American flags and red, white and blue imagery across TV, social media, online ads, store displays and a summer bus tour that began May 15 in New York. TINA.org said seven Almay products appeared in the Underwood commercial. Three were wholly made abroad, in China, the Czech Republic and Germany, and the other four contained non-USA components.
According to TINA.org, most Almay labels said “made in the USA with U.S. and non-U.S. components” but did not say where the components came from or how much of each product was foreign. The group said there were no disclaimers on the website or in the commercials.
“Almay’s implied, unqualified claim that its cosmetics are made in the USA is false advertising,” said TINA.org Executive Director Bonnie Patten.
Almay’s response
TINA.org said it contacted Revlon on May 8 and gave the company a week to make changes. Revlon disagreed with the findings on May 15 and asked the group to stop its inquiry.
An Almay spokesperson said the campaign was meant to capture “the spirit of American beauty” and complied with FTC rules on Made in USA and the use of “American.” The company said all Almay products are formulated in its labs in Edison, New Jersey, and 88% are manufactured at its plant in Oxford, North Carolina. Revlon told the New York Post it neither claims nor implies that Almay cosmetics are made in the USA.
TINA.org later took a similar complaint about Walmart.com listings to the FTC (our coverage).
Source & credit
Source: Truth in Advertising: “‘Almay Simply American’ Campaign Simply Not True”, May 20, 2015, and its complaint letter to the FTC, May 19, 2015.
Additional reporting: O’Dwyer’s: “Ad Watchdog Hits Almay for ‘Simply American’ Campaign”, May 20, 2015; New York Post: “Almay’s ‘Simply American’ campaign not so American”, May 22, 2015.